Abstract
This paper investigates how structured pedagogical interventions can foster reflective Learning within design studios. Conducted as an action-based case study with fifteen interior design students, the research integrated principles of Research through Design (RtD) and Action Design Research (ADR) to link educational practice with reflective inquiry. Four iterative interventions, including model making, circulation mapping, vertical connection, and inside–outside exploration, were designed to disrupt habitual thinking and enhance metacognitive awareness. Data from observations, interviews, and evaluations were analyzed through a three-layer framework capturing behavioral, cognitive, and self-regulatory dimensions of reflection. Findings show that reflection did not arise directly from the interventions but from students’ internalization of the changes they provoked. Reflection occurred when external triggers turned into personal insight, transforming the studio into a dialogical environment for learning. The study highlights how purposeful interventions can cultivate reflective awareness, resilience, and autonomy in design education.
Keywords
reflective learning; design pedagogy; pedagogical interventions; design cognition; studio education; research through design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1023
Citation
Ziashahabi, N., Yazdanfar, S., and Ekhlassi, A. (2026) Learning through Alternatives: Fostering Reflection through Design Interventions, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1023
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Learning through Alternatives: Fostering Reflection through Design Interventions
This paper investigates how structured pedagogical interventions can foster reflective Learning within design studios. Conducted as an action-based case study with fifteen interior design students, the research integrated principles of Research through Design (RtD) and Action Design Research (ADR) to link educational practice with reflective inquiry. Four iterative interventions, including model making, circulation mapping, vertical connection, and inside–outside exploration, were designed to disrupt habitual thinking and enhance metacognitive awareness. Data from observations, interviews, and evaluations were analyzed through a three-layer framework capturing behavioral, cognitive, and self-regulatory dimensions of reflection. Findings show that reflection did not arise directly from the interventions but from students’ internalization of the changes they provoked. Reflection occurred when external triggers turned into personal insight, transforming the studio into a dialogical environment for learning. The study highlights how purposeful interventions can cultivate reflective awareness, resilience, and autonomy in design education.